Consultancy: Coordinator of the WCAR Solar Hub – West Africa / Central Africa, WCARO Dakar, Senegal, 10 months (Remote/preferably in West Africa / Central Africa)

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential. 

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone. 

And we never give up. 

For every child, Hope

Purpose and Background of Activity/Assignment:

Coordinate the implementation of the West and Central Africa Region (WCAR) Solar Hub, including support to resource mobilization – focus on West Africa / Central Africa.

Background and purpose

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, and have expertise in the field of climate change, the world’s leading children’s rights organization would like to hear from you. For more than 70 years, UNICEF has been working in 190 countries and territories to promote children’s survival, protection and development. As the world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, safe water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation and HIV and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

UNICEF works towards the realization of the rights of children as prescribed in the Convention of the Rights of the Child.

Over the past decade, climate change – which affects all children’s rights – has become a top priority for UNICEF. As a matter of fact, the climate crisis is a child rights crisis.

The needs for access to safe and sustainable water services in the West and Central Africa region (WCAR) are immense. In 2020, only 65% of people in Sub-Saharan Africa had access to at least a basic water service, and only 30% to a safely managed water service. The situation in schools and healthcare facilities is even more dire. An estimated 26% of healthcare facilities lack access to a safe water service, putting millions of children and their families at risk. Lack of access to a water service impacts children’s – especially girls’ – school enrollment, attendance, and participation. Ensuring the climate resilience of existing and future services is critically important for their sustainability. Africa’s population is expected to grow from 1 billion people in 2018 to more than 2 billion by 2050, further increasing the need for sustainable access to safe water. Population growth at this rate will add pressure to already struggling services and double the continent’s energy needs (increasing by 3% each year). Fortunately, the conditions for renewable energy in the region are favorable.

Recognizing the immense benefits of solar energy for the region, UNICEF’s West and Central Africa Regional Office launched with its partner Water Mission the WCAR Solar Hub in 2020 to provide demand driven technical assistance on solar-powered water systems to any government, NGO, private company or UN agency, which requests support on solar power. Phase 2 of the WCAR Solar Hub, set to launched late 2024 – early 2025, will bring Phase 1 to scale and expend the Hub’s initial focus on WASH to education and health. It will be managed directly by UNICEF WCARO in collaboration with the two Regional Renewable Energy Centers, the ECOWAS Centre for renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) and the Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency in Central Africa (CEREEAC).

How can you make a difference? 

Scope of Work:

The purpose of the international consultancy is to coordinate the first year of Phase 2 of the WCAR Solar Hub. This includes planning, fundraising for and contributing to the implementation of the Hub’s core activities, such as:

• Development and maintenance of a dedicated website
• Technical Helpdesk function
• In-person workshops on solar-powered systems concepts, design, installation and Operation & Maintenance
• In-person site inspections of solar-powered systems
• Online course on Principles and Practices of solar-powered systems

The ideal candidate will possess expertise in sustainable energy, combined with strong project management experience and a passion for the West and Central African context.

Number of Working Days: 110 days corresponding to an average of 10 days per month (from December 1st, 2024, to October 31st, 2025)

Activities, deliverables and timeline

The International Consultant will be responsible for the following tasks:

• Overall coordination of the WCAR Solar Hub
• Managing the partnership with ECREEE, CEREEAC and other key partners
• Supporting the on-going Regional Solar Market Assessment
• Managing the WCAR Solar Hub’s website
• Managing the Technical Helpdesk function of the WCAR Solar Hub’s
• Planning training workshop (in person and online) at country and regional level
• Prepare monthly reports on achievements, challenges, and proposed solutions
• Ensure that all outputs and deliverables meet the quality standards and requirements set by UNICEF WCARO.
• Ensure the confidentiality and security of all consultancy-related information.
• Any other tasks related to the WCAR Solar Hub as instructed by UNICEF WCARO, including field missions.

Work Assignments Overview Deliverables/Outputs Delivery deadline

Produce a monthly activity report (Month 1), including a workplan for the next month.

Preparing an inception report including a tentative workplan for the year

• Monthly report (Month 1)
• Inception report
• At least 1 webinar on Solar Powered Systems concepts, design, installation and Operation & Maintenance 1 month Produce a monthly activity report (Month 2), including a workplan for the next month. • Monthly report (Month 2)
• Functional website
• Technical assessment or workshop in at least 1 country
• Inception report of study “youth engagement in Operation & Maintenance of Solar Powered Systems” 2 months Produce a monthly activity report (Month 3), including a workplan for the next month. • Monthly report (Month 3)
• Functional website
• Solar Powered Water System Design and Installation Guide in Portuguese
• At least 2 webinars on Solar Powered Systems concepts, design, installation and Operation & Maintenance 3 months Produce a monthly activity report (Month 4), including a workplan for the next month. • Monthly report (Month 4)
• Functional website
• Design and Installation Guides for solar systems in education and health facilities
• Technical assessment or workshop in at least 1 country 4 months IProduce a monthly activity report (Month 5), including a workplan for the next month. • Monthly report (Month 5)
• Functional website
• At least 2 webinars on Solar Powered Systems concepts, design, installation and Operation & Maintenance
• Draft study “youth engagement in Operation & Maintenance of Solar Powered Systems” 5 months Produce a monthly activity report (Month 6), including a workplan for the next month. • Monthly report (Month 6)
• Functional website
• Technical assessment or workshop in at least 1 country 6 months Produce a monthly activity report (Month 7), including a workplan for the next month. • Monthly report (Month 7)
• Functional website
• At least 2 webinars on Solar Powered Systems concepts, design, installation and Operation & Maintenance 7 months Produce a monthly activity report (Month 8), including a workplan for the next month. • Monthly report (Month 8)
• Functional website
• Technical assessment or workshop in at least 1 country
• Final study “youth engagement in Operation & Maintenance of Solar Powered Systems” 8 months Produce a monthly activity report (Month 9), including a workplan for the next month. • Monthly report (Month 9)
• Functional website
• At least 2 webinars on Solar Powered Systems concepts, design, installation and Operation & Maintenance 9 months Produce a monthly activity report (Month 10), including a workplan for the next month. • Monthly report (Month 10)
• Functional website
• Technical assessment or workshop in at least 1 country 10 months Produce a final report, including a hand-over report
• Functional website
• At least 2 webinars on Solar Powered Systems concepts, design, installation and Operation & Maintenance
• Final report (by October 31st, 2025)

11 months

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have… 

• An advanced university degree in Climate/Sustainable Energy Studies, Environmental Science, DRR, Social Sciences, Education, Project Management or related fields is required.
• At least 5 years of experience in project coordination or management, preferably in climate-related proposal development with international organizations.
• Excellent writing skills and demonstrated ability to communicate scientific and technical ideas clearly using simple, commonly accepted language.
• Proven experience in liaising with government partners.
• Comfort making presentations to clients and presenting information in a compelling, informative, and persuasive fashion.
• Proven experience working in (one or more) social sectors (DRR, WASH, Education, Health, etc.).
• Excellent attention to detail complemented by strong organizational skills.
• Ability to work under tight deadlines.
• Ability to work in teams as well as independently.
• Experience in West and Central Africa Region context is considered as an asset.
• Intermediate to advanced experience with producing deliverables with Microsoft Office 365 programs including SharePoint, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Fluency in English (oral and written); in addition, fluency in French is preferred.
• Excellent writing skills required. Excellent English and French writing/communication skills.
• Excellent project management skills required.
• Demonstrated expertise in child rights or any of UNICEF’s main areas of work (health, WASH, nutrition, child protection, social policy, nutrition, education, gender, HIV/AIDS) or in climate finance is considered an asset.

Other Requirements

• Completed profile in UNICEF’s e-Recruitment system /Resume
• Academic credentials/certificates
• Consultancy proposal
• Financial proposal that will include:
• Costs for each deliverable and total all-inclusive (lump sum) fees for the whole assignment
• Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable
• Previously relevant consultancy products & final evaluations (if available)
• Indicate your availability
• At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.
• Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

For every Child, you demonstrate… 

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS). 

To view our competency framework, please visit here. 

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment. 

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check. 

Remarks: 

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. 

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws. 

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts. 

Read Full Description